First look at Away Days Brewing, Opening Today in SE Portland
The owners of popular English pub and soccer bar the Toffee Club are opening Away Days Brewing next door, today, Wednesday, June 12th at 4pm. The Toffee Club opened in 2016 in the former Hawthorne Strip location, behind them Scout Beer opened their taproom and brewery which recently closed. Toffee Club owners Niki, Jack and Pete were considering opening a second location when their neighbors space became available and after a quick remodel, hiring a brewer and getting TTB approval, Away Days Brewing is soft opening this afternoon.
Away Days Brewing's brewer is Marshall Kunz, landing on his feet after Alameda Brewing closed where he was the pub brewer. At Away Days, he has another small brewery to work with, here it's a 5bbl electric system with two 15bbl fermenters and another 10bbl tank on the way. Kunz first beer is an Extra Special Bitter, the perfect example of beers you may regularly see coming out of Away Days. Though they dont want to be hemmed in to any particular style, Away Days Brewing wants to focus on low abv, quaffable styles, you will see lagers alongside British classics and yes, hazy IPA.
Traditional ale fans will be stoked to see two cask engines at Away Days. Though they were not ready yet, Kunz has a cask of his new bitter conditioning and another cask ready to fill. The opening lineup is mostly collaborations Kunz did with other local brewers. A Level Beer collaboration called Wet 'n' Mild and a Ross Island Brewing collab called Pass Me A Pale Ale will also be on cask soon. Kunz has a Sasquatch Brewing collabo Cleats Up IPA, that's clean, crisp and juicy with a nice bitterness. There is also a classic saison he made with Upright Brewing, and a Kolsch made with West Coast Grocery. As well as a few others pouring alongside guest taps. All told there will be 8 beers on draft, 2 beers on cask, plus 1 cider and 1 cold brew draft lines. Underwood Wines are available by the can and non alcoholic options include Upper Left Coffee and Jarritos sodas.
Away Days will help serve the soccer fans that spill over from the Toffee Club, and plans to fully open on July 7th for the Women's World Cup Final. By that time Toffee Club should have 3-4 in-house brewed beers on tap and a more completed decor.
Right now, the small-ish space feels like a bright, casual bar/cafe space with lots of windows for Hawthorne neighborhood people watching. If the Toffee Club is best described as an English-style Gastropub and soccer tavern, then Away Days Brewing is it's younger, cooler European cousin says co-owner Niki Diamond. Though Away Days Brewing might share a wall and a kitchen with Toffee Club, it's definitely it's own entity. For example, Toffee Club won't be switching to all Away Days beers, while Toffee Club is more brown wood and green colors, Away Days is almost all white with white tile, a hickory bar top and exposed beams. The food comes from a window to the Toffee Club kitchen, but a different cook will handle all of Away Days Brewing's food which is a small menu of snacks and sandwiches that include a LOT of ham and brie cheese.
Away Days Brewing is minor friendly until 9pm, they are closed on Monday and Tuesday, Open 4 - 10pm Wednesday - Friday and open 10am - 11pm on Saturday and Sunday. 1516 SE 10th, Portland, OR.